Directed by Adam McKay and written by McKay and Chris Henchy, The Other Guys is the story of two mismatched NYPD detectives who take on a case while other detectives do bigger jobs as they make a discovery involving financial embezzlement and such. The film is a mixture of the buddy-cop films mixed in with humor as well as an exploration into the world of finance as it’s all narrated by rapper/actor Ice-T. Starring Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Rob Riggle, Damon Wayans Jr., Steve Coogan, Ray Stevenson, and Michael Keaton. The Other Guys is a wild and adventurous film from Adam McKay.
The film follows two mismatched detectives working for the NYPD whose attempt to be taken seriously is met with constant ridicule by other detectives as they take on a case involving the world of finance. It’s a film that is a spoof of sorts of the buddy-cop films yet it also follow two different men who embark on a case that involves a multi-billionaire who has lost money to a client who wants him killed. The film’s screenplay by Adam McKay and Chris Henchy doesn’t just follow these two mismatched partners who aren’t treated with respect but also their effort to get respect from fellow officers despite the fact that neither man are considered great detectives. Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) is a mild-mannered forensic accountant that likes to be on the desk as he’s teamed up with the very hot-tempered Terry Hoitz who is forced to team up with Gamble over an incident where he accidentally shot New York Yankees player Derek Jeter during the World Series. Following the strange death of two widely-revered but cocky detectives, Gamble and Hoitz try to take that spot as they compete with the more-experienced and respected detectives Martin (Rob Riggle) and Fosse (Damon Wayans Jr.).
During the course of their investigation of the billionaire Sir David Ershon (Steve Coogan), Hoitz and Gamble get to know each other as the former is still eager to prove himself that he can be relied on as he’s also having issues with his ex-girlfriend Francine (Lindsay Sloane) due to his own faults. In the latter, Hoitz would learn that Gamble is married to an extremely-beautiful woman in Sheila (Eva Mendes) as well as get the attraction of a lot of beautiful woman that relates to a past that Gamble is covering up. Some of the investigation relating to Sir Ershon’s embezzlement scam is a bit complicated but it’s made up for the situations that Gamble and Hoitz endure as they had to make their reports to their superior in Captain Gene Mauch (Michael Keaton) who works a second job managing a Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Captain Mauch is an oddball character not just for having a second job but also being secretive into what Gamble and Hoitz is trying to uncover. Another quirk that he has is the fact that unknowingly quotes lyrics from the famed 90s R&B group TLC.
McKay’s direction does have elements of style as it relates to a lot of the visual tropes expected in buddy-cop films while it also play with these tropes to create something that is simpler and with an offbeat sense of humor. Shot on location in New York City with additional locations in Staten Island and Albany, the film does play into a world in which its police department is considered one of the best where two men don’t feel like they’re part of that elite group. Even as they endure some very strange moments during their investigation such as talking to a couple who wants Gamble to have sex with his wife since she used to have a relationship with him back in college. While there’s some wide shots for some of the action scenes as well as some establishing shots of the locations. Much of McKay’s direction emphasizes more on close-ups and medium shots to play into the interaction with the characters and the growing partnership between Gamble and Hoitz.
Notably as the latter starts to open up about his anger issues while the former reveals to have a dark side that he’s repressing as his own personal life is about to change. McKay would also take breaks from the humor and action as it relates to the environment Gamble and Hoitz are trying to discover as it relates to Ershon and his business dealings. Notably in a final credits sequence where McKay reveals a lot about some of the financial scandals that happened in real-life showing how big it can affect everything and how it adds to Gamble and Hoitz needing to stop those going after Ershon who is already in trouble for his role. The film’s climax is definitely big as it’s expected in action films but also play into some of the silliness that occurs throughout the climax over the group of mercenaries hired to take out Ershon. Overall, McKay creates a fun and thrilling film about two mismatched partners who step in when everyone else is busy in saving New York City.
Cinematographer Oliver Wood does excellent work with the cinematography as it has elements of style in some of the interiors and exterior scenes at night while much of the daytime exteriors is straightforward. Editor Brent White does brilliant work with the editing as it does play into the many conventional ideas of editing in action films while also providing something straightforward in capturing the humor in the film. Production designer Clayton Hartley, with set decorator George DeTitta Jr. and art director Jim Gloster, does fantastic work with the look of the offices including Ershon’s posh penthouse and a bar that Gamble frequents at. Costume designer Carol Ramsey does nice work with the costumes as it is largely straightforward with the more posh look of Ershon as well as some of the somewhat-skimpy clothing that Sheila wears.
Visual effects supervisor Gregor Lakner does terrific work with a few of the film’s visual effects as it largely relate to some of the action scenes in the film including a helicopter chase scene. Sound editor George H. Anderson does superb work with the sound as it play into the chaos of some of the action as well as the places that Gamble and Hoitz go to during the sequence where they unknowingly take Ershon’s bribes. The film’s music by Jon Brion is wonderful for its low-key score that is a mixture of bombastic orchestral music with some light-hearted jazzy pieces while music supervisor Erica Weis provide a fun mix of music ranging from acts like Little River Band, Phil Collins, Wyclef Jean, the Foo Fighters, Swizz Beatz, Donovan, the Black Eyed Peas, the Hit Crew, Goldfrapp, the White Stripes, Cee-Lo Green with Eva Mendes, Rage Against the Machine, the Mamas and the Papas, and TLC.
The casting by Jennifer Euston and Allison Jones is great as it feature cameo appearances from wrestlers Brian Girard James/Road Dogg Jesse James and Monty Kip Sopp/Bad Ass Billy Gunn, Tracy Morgan, Rosie Perez, and Brooke Shields as themselves at a New York Knicks game, New York Yankees player Derek Jeter as himself, Anne Heche as a CEO who targets Ershon, Josef Sommer as the district attorney who is angry over Gamble and Hoitz’s screw-ups, director Adam McKay as a seedy hobo named Dirty Mike, Bobby Cannavale as a detective who despises Hoitz for shooting Derek Jeter, Rob Huebel as Officer Watts who keeps coming to everyone about putting money into a fund which would play into the third act, Natalie Zea as a former girlfriend of Gamble in Chrisinith, Brett Gelman as Chrisinith’s husband who wants Gamble to fuck her, Tess Kartel as a Brazilian mercenary who is attracted to Gamble, Viola Harris as Sheila’s mother, and Andy Buckley as Ershon’s attorney who is targeted for his actions relating to Ershon’s finances.
Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson are terrific in their brief yet respective role as the arrogant detectives Highsmith and Danson as two guys who do so much yet would do stupid things for the NYPD. Rob Riggle and Damon Wayans Jr. are superb in their respective roles as detectives Martin and Fosse as two men who often make fun of Gamble and Hoitz for their incompetence as they try to take in the top spot that was once filled by Danson and Highsmith. Ray Stevenson is fantastic as Roger Wesley as a mercenary leader hired by the people that Ershon had stolen from as he does whatever he can to try and get rid of Gamble and Hoitz. Lindsay Sloane is wonderful as Hoitz’s former girlfriend Francine who isn’t eager to get back with him due to his anger issues as she later realizes why he is flawed as she’s unsure of taking him back.
Steve Coogan is brilliant as Sir David Ershon as a billionaire who gets himself into some trouble over money he’s stolen from a big corporation as he tries to bribe Gamble and Hoitz while dealing with the trouble he’s in. Eva Mendes is fantastic as Gamble’s wife Sheila as a doctor who is super-attractive as she knows about her husband’s dark past as she is something she refuses to take. Michael Keaton is amazing as Captain Gene Mauch as Gamble and Hoitz’s superior who is sympathetic in their need to prove to themselves while he is also offbeat for the fact that he manages a Bed, Bath, and Beyond and unknowingly quotes TLC lyrics as it’s one of Keaton’s funniest performances. Finally, there’s the duo of Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg in phenomenal performances in their respective roles as Allen Gamble and Terry Hoitz as two detectives who are totally different to each other in their personality as Wahlberg captures the eagerness and frustration of a man trying to do right but feels like a screw-up every time. Ferrell is more laid back as someone who is just wanting to do his job but also harbors a dark secret which starts to re-emerge where Ferrell displays a manic sense of energy where he and Wahlberg display a fun chemistry that is a joy to watch.
The Other Guys is a sensational film from Adam McKay that features top-notch performances from Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Steve Coogan, and Michael Keaton. Along with its supporting cast, witty script, high-octane action, and some hilarious moments, it’s a film that manages to do more with buddy-cop action film while taking the time to explore different places while maintaining its humor. In the end, The Other Guys is an incredible film from Adam McKay.
Adam McKay Films: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy - Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby - Step Brothers - Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues - The Big Short - (Backseat) – The Auteurs #63: Adam McKay
© thevoid99 2018
Written and directed by James Gray, We Own the Night is the story of a club manager who finds himself in trouble following a raid where his boss decides to target both his father and brother who are cops. The film is an exploration of a man trying to live his own life as he contends with the drawbacks of his lifestyle and how it would affect his family. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, and Robert Duvall. We Own the Night is a gripping and evocative film from James Gray.
Set in the late 1980s in New York City, the film revolves a nightclub manager who works for the Russian mob as a raid led by his brother lead to trouble where he learns about a drug deal that has gotten dangerous forcing him to turn to his family. It’s a film that is not just about loyalty but also a study of a man caught between two different worlds where he is already in the world of running a club with drugs and seedy businesses while his father and older brother are cops. James Gray’s screenplay follows Bobby Green (Joaquin Phoenix) who spends much of his time running a nightclub in New York City while being with his Puerto Rican girlfriend Amada (Eva Mendes) and their friend Jumbo (Danny Hoch). Bobby works for the Russian mob leader Marat Buzhayev (Moni Moshonov) who owns the club as a legit way of making business though he allows his nephew Vadim Nezhinski (Alex Veadov) to make deals as he is about to make a huge drug deal that would change things. The news gets the attention of Bobby’s older brother Captain Joseph Grusinsky (Mark Wahlberg) who would lead a raid that doesn’t go anywhere but only furthers the tension between him and Bobby.
When Joseph is gunned down and in a critical state following a hit, Bobby finds himself torn between his loyalty to the mob as well as his love for his brother and father in Chief Albert Grusinsky (Robert Duvall) as the latter wants to protect him. When Bobby is asked to see what Vadim is up to by some of his father’s fellow officers, Bobby reluctantly agrees as a way to make amends with his brother but he eventually realizes that he isn’t safe once Vadim learns who he’s related to. Amada would be in danger as she copes with having to give up a lifestyle that she’s used to as well as be disconnected from her own family which would eventually cause tension with her and Bobby. Notably in the third act where Bobby makes a decision that is more about doing what is right for everyone and himself rather than return to a life that is filled with too much trouble.
Gray’s direction definitely bear elements of style in terms of some of the compositions while he would also create a period in time when New York City was still dangerous but had risen from the ashes of its dreary period of the late 70s thanks in part to its then-mayor in Ed Koch who appears in the film as himself. Shot on location in New York City, the film does play like a look back in time when the city was thriving but also had this air of unease where it’s the police that is trying to bring order back as the film’s title comes from a tag from one of chevrons on the police uniforms. Much of the film is set in the night with Gray focusing on that world though there are substantial scenes set in the daytime as it play into the world that Bobby lives in where he gambles or parties with Amada. It’s something different to what Joseph does where he splits his time doing his work with the police and being with his own family. Gray would shoot some wide shots of some of the locations though he would avoid certain landmarks of the city to maintain this element of the street and areas that involve people of Russian descent.
The direction would also have these intense moments such as a chase scene in the rain where Bobby and Amada are in a car where they’re being attacked with Bobby’s father trying to stop the attackers as it’s a key moment that would lead to the third act. It would play into what Bobby needed to do as Gray’s usage of close-up and medium shots play into the drama as well as how he deals with near-moments of tragedy and other things that add to Bobby’s development to help his family. Even as he has to deal with the other people who were like family to him as he is aware that everything he had done for them is meaningless. The film’s climax which is set in a bed of reeds is definitely one of the most chilling moments in the film as it play into the sense of the unknown and what a man will do to make things right. Overall, Gray creates a thrilling and compelling film about a nightclub manager turning straight when the mob he works for goes after his family.
Cinematographer Joaquin Baca-Asay does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it has some distinctive looks into the way the scenes at the club as well as some exterior scenes at night are light while it emphasizes on something low-key for some of the daytime scenes as well the mood for the car chase scene in the rain. Editor John Axelrad does excellent work with the editing as it has elements of style as it relates to the action and suspense while being more straightforward in its approach to the drama. Production designer Ford Wheeler, with set decorator Catherine Davis and art director James C. Feng, does amazing work with the look of the nightclub that Bobby manages as well as the look of some of the homes of the characters in the film. Costume designer Michael Clancy does fantastic work with the costumes as it has elements of style in what Bobby and Amada wear to the clubs as well as the look of the police uniforms.
Visual effects supervisors Iva Petkova, Kelly Port, and Mike Uguccioni do nice work with the visual effects as it is mainly set dressing for a few spots including a shot where the World Trade Center buildings are seen through a window. Sound designer Douglas Murray does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the nightclub as well as some of the intense moments of violence including the film’s climax. The film’s music by Wojciech Kilar is wonderful for its usage of low-key string arrangements to play into the drama and suspense while music supervisor Dana Sano provides a cool soundtrack that features a lot of the music of the late 70s/early 80s from Blondie, the Clash, David Bowie, the Specials, Louis Prima, Tito Puente, and a mixture of traditional Russian music and jazz.
The casting by Douglas Aibel is marvelous as it feature notable small roles and appearances from former New York City mayor Ed Koch as himself, Maggie Kiley as Joseph’s wife, Latin artist Coati Mundi as himself at a club performance, Yelena Solovey as Buzhayev’s wife Kalina, Tony Musante as Captain Jack Shaprio who is an old friend of Albert, Antoni Corone as another friend of Albert in Lt. Solo, and Moni Moshonov in a terrific small role as the mob leader Marat Buzhayev as a man who treated Bobby like a son despite his dealings. Danny Hoch is superb as Bobby’s best friend Jumbo as a guy who helps run the nightclub as well as party with him while not knowing anything that is happening to Bobby or his family. Alex Veadov is fantastic as Vadim Nezhinski as Buzhayev’s nephew who is also a ruthless drug dealer that is willing to make sure things go right and kill anyone who gets in his way.
Eva Mendes is excellent as Amada as Bobby’s girlfriend who is happy in the lifestyle that she and Bobby live until Bobby gets into danger where she gets a closer look into the dark aspects of the lifestyle where Mendes really shows her frustration and sadness over Bobby’s eventual decision with his life. Robert Duvall is brilliant as Chief Albert Grusinsky as Bobby’s father who is aware of the lifestyle of his son as he hopes Bobby would get into the straight-and-narrow where he learns the kind of trouble he’s in as he does what any father would do which is to protect him.
Mark Wahlberg is amazing as Captain Joseph Grusinsky as Bobby’s older brother who is this hard-ass that is trying to do what is right for the law despite getting into fights with his brother where he learns how deep into trouble his brother is following his own recovery from a hit as he does whatever he can to help him. Finally, there’s Joaquin Phoenix in an incredible performance as Robert “Bobby” Grusinski/Bobby Green as a nightclub manager trying to live his own life until he learns of a drug deal that would get him into trouble after his brother was nearly killed as Phoenix’s performance is one of anguish and determination that includes the film’s climax.
We Own the Night is a phenomenal film from James Gray. Featuring a great ensemble cast, gorgeous cinematography, a riveting story, and a thrilling soundtrack, it’s a crime-drama that explore the idea of loyalty and a man being torn between his love for his family and the people who are part of the dark and seedy world of crime. In the end, We Own the Night is a sensational film from James Gray.
James Gray Films: Little Odessa - The Yards - Two Lovers – The Immigrant (2013 film) - The Lost City of Z – Ad Astra - The Auteurs #57: James Gray
© thevoid99 2017
(Played at the Un Certain Regarde Section at 2014 Cannes Film Festival)
Written and directed by Ryan Gosling, Lost River is the story of a single mother who tries to save her home by taking a mysterious job while her son would try to help where he learns about a mysterious underwater city. The film is a mixture of fantasy with elements of film noir that plays into a world that doesn’t make sense as many characters deal with this strange world they’re in. Starring Christina Hendricks, Saoirse Ronan, Ben Mendelsohn, Iain De Caestecker, Matt Smith, Barbara Steele, and Eva Mendes. Lost River is an evocative yet rapturous film from Ryan Gosling.
Set in Detroit, the film revolves around a single mother trying to raise her two sons as one of them is a teenager and the other is an infant where she takes a mysterious job to save her home while the teenage son deals with a local gangster as he tries to find ways to help his mother. It’s a film that does have a simple story but it also has these elements of surrealism as well as the idea of innocence lost. Even as this small town Billy (Christina Hendricks) is living with her sons Bones (Iain De Caestecker) and the infant Franky (Landyn Stewart) is a place that is just in ruins while it’s nearby this reservoir that is covering a city that used to be there. Ryan Gosling’s script doesn’t just play into this idea of survival but what Billy and Bones have to do as the former has to work for a bank manager who also moonlights as the manager of a strange vaudeville club that emphasizes a lot on macabre imagery.
In the latter, he befriends his neighbor Rat (Saoirse Ronan) who tells him about this mysterious underwater city that used to be there as she believes that this little town could be saved if someone retrieve a piece of the city underwater. Though Bones doesn’t believe that, he still has to deal with the fact that his encounter with the local gangster Bully (Matt Smith) has him become a target where he has to hide as what he does to his enemies are quite gruesome. Even as Rat becomes targeted where Bones realizes what he has to do as does Billy who realizes where the real money is made at this club she is working for. All of which play into a world that has become corrupt and repressive where a mother and son are forced to take action.
Gosling’s direction is definitely very stylized in not just its imagery but also in mood where it a film that feels very dream-like yet rooted in reality. Shot on location in Detroit and areas nearby, the film has this strange mixture of the harsh realities of urban life with its empty and ruined houses that is joined with a world that is very surreal as it relates to the reservoir that Bones encounters and the club that Billy would work at. Gosling’s approach to compositions in his usage of wide and medium shots not only capture a world that is very unique but also one that has a sense of beauty despite its sense of decay. The way he would film certain images or create scenes that play into that mix of ugliness and beauty showcase Gosling’s gift to find that delicate balance as it relates to some scenes between Bones and Rat. The elements of surrealism that is in this club where women pretend to be killed for everyone’s pleasure is quite offbeat in its humor yet it also has something that is dream-like.
Even with Gosling’s approach to close-ups as well as these scenes that are quite strange and comical as it adds to a world that doesn’t make sense for its lead characters. The element of dream-like images mixed in with these strange and harsh surroundings would add to the film’s climax which is quite emotional where both Billy and Bones would make a decision as it relates to the reality they live in. A reality that both know they have to face where it’s no longer about a house they’re trying to save but really themselves and Franky. Overall, Gosling creates a ravishing yet eerie film about a mother and son trying to survive in a decaying environment filled with strange secrets.
Cinematographer Benoit Debie does phenomenal work with the film‘s cinematography with its usage of naturalistic and dream-like images for scenes set in the day along with some of the interiors with its stylish usage of neon lights including some of the scenes set at the club where Billy would work at. Editors Nico Leunen and Valdis Oskarsdottir do excellent work with the editing as they use some stylish jump-cuts to play into some of the drama and action along with some of the offbeat moments in the film where much of the editing is stylized yet adds a lot to what is shown. Production designer Beth Mickle, with set decorator Lisa K. Sessions and art director Erick Donaldson, does amazing work with the look of the club that Billy would work including the secret room as well as the room and home where Rat lives in.
Costume designer Erin Benach does fantastic work with the costumes from the lavish clothes of the women at the club to the look of Bully. Special makeup effects artist Michael Fontaine and prosthetics designer Michael Marino do brilliant work with the look of the macabre, gory makeup Billy and several other women would sport into their stage performances at the club as well as the look of Bully‘s henchman. Visual effects supervisor Janelle Croshaw does nice work with some of the minimal visual effects in the macabre performances at the club as well as a few set-dressing scenes such as the old pathway to an old town that is now underwater.
Sound designer Lon Bender does a superb job with the sound to play into the world of the clubs and some of the locations as well as some of the eerie moments at the home base of Bully. The film’s music by Johnny Jewel is great as it is this mixture of electronic music and ambient to play into some of the drama and surreal moments in the film while music supervisor Richard Walters provides a soundtrack that features some of Jewel’s original music from his Italians Do It Better label from acts like the Chromatics, Desire, Symmetry, Glass Candy, and other songs sung by Saoirse Ronan and Ben Mendelsohn as well as a standard called Deep Purple.
The casting by Kathy Mooney and Jennifer Venditti is wonderful as it features some notable small roles from Torrey Wigfield as Bully’s henchman Face, Rob Zabrecky as the club’s MC, Landyn Stewart as Billy’s infant son Franky, Reda Kateb as a kind cab driver who would drive Billy to the club, and Eva Mendes in a superb performance as the club performer Cat who would show Billy the ropes to performing and working at the club including the room where the real money is made. Barbara Steele is terrific in a largely silent role as Rat’s catatonic grandmother who watches old movies based on happier days. Matt Smith is fantastic as the local gangster Bully as a man who instills fear in everyone while being horrific in the way he handles people as it’s a role full of charm and energy. Ben Mendelsohn is excellent as Dave as a bank manager who also moonlights as a club owner where he offers Billy a chance to keep her house but also do things that are very intense.
Saoirse Ronan is brilliant as Rat as this young girl who is a neighbor of Bones as she befriends him while telling him the legend about this underwater city as it’s a performance full of restraint but also charm. Iain De Caestecker is amazing as Bones as a teenager who spends his time stripping down houses where his encounter with Bully nearly gets him in trouble until he encounters what could be the lost city as he realizes it might be the key to get him out of this small town. Finally, there’s Christina Hendricks in a remarkable performance as Billy as this single mother that is trying to save her home from debt where she goes into a world that is very strange only to realize that she is entering a world that is just very dark and complicated.
Lost River is a phenomenal film from Ryan Gosling. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, and an intoxicating soundtrack. It’s a film that doesn’t play by the rules while not being afraid to be weird as well as delve into elements of surrealism and fantasy. In the end, Lost River is a spectacular film from Ryan Gosling.
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Derek Cianfrance and written by Cianfrance, Ben Coccio, and Darius Marder from a story by Cianfrance and Coccio, The Place Beyond the Pines is a multi-layered story about two different men who cross into each other’s paths leaving way for their sons to meet many years later. The film is an exploration into the sins of a father and how it would play into the life of their sons. Starring Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Rose Byrne, Dane DeHaan, Emory Cohen, Ben Mendelsohn, and Ray Liotta. The Place Beyond the Pines is a mesmerizing and sprawling film from Derek Cianfrance.
When a child arrives into the world, the one thing that their fathers hope to do is to make sure they raise their children better than their fathers did in the previous generation. The film is a story that spans 20 years as it revolves two very different men whose paths would cross each other as they would later set a troubling fate for their sons many years later when they meet not knowing what they have in common. The film has a very unique narrative where it has a traditional three-act structure yet it plays into the fates that would come into play as it all takes place in Schenectady, New York. Notably as the first two acts is about the two different men whose fates would cross each other and the impact it would have as its third act revolves the lives of their sons as teenagers.
The screenplay’s three acts are about these four different men as the first act is about a motorcycle stuntman named Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling). The second act is about a good low-level cop named Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper) and the third is about their two sons whose paths would meet each other many years later. The first two act show these two men who both have very good intentions for what they want to do in life as well as set good examples of their sons but they would encounter things that would set the fates for their sons to follow. Notably as Glanton would turn to crime to provide for his son while Cross finds himself in a world of corruption as he turns snitch in order to move up in the world. The paths these two men take would have some uneasy consequences the two would make as well as create a sense of guilt of the path that they take as it would cause trouble for their sons.
The third act showcases a modern world in which Avery Cross has reinvented himself as a politician but one who is still carrying the guilt over his encounter with Glanton as he is also troubled by the antics of his son AJ (Emory Cohen). When A.J. meets a teenager named Jason (Dane DeHaan) who is has no knowledge that Glanton is his real father, their meeting would not only cause a lot of trouble but also unveil the secrets that Avery Cross had been carrying his whole life. While the film is largely about father and sons, there are women who are present in the story as Luke’s former girlfriend Romina (Eva Mendes) is hesitant about having Luke in her life as some of the events that happen forces her to not tell Jason about her father. Avery’s wife Jennifer (Rose Byrne) may not have much time as Romina but she is still crucial as a woman who is forced to see her husband move away from her and the family to do right as he becomes more uncomfortable being called a hero.
Derek Cianfrance’s direction is quite stylish in not just the way he presents Schenectady, New York as an interesting area that is a mixture of a modern world clashing with nature but also a place where it’s a small microcosm that is quite uneasy. With some very interesting tracking shots such as the opening shot of the camera following Luke Glanton around the fairground just as he’s to perform his stunt. There is an air of grain to the look of the film as if it’s meant to create a sense of atmosphere and nostalgia as much of the film takes place somewhere in the 1980s or 1990s. Particularly in the first act as Cianfrance places an air of grit with some hand-held cameras to intensify things as well as placing the cameras for some very stylish chase scenes.
Things cool down during the second act where the framing and camerawork is more controlled as it is dramatic but also filled with some suspense as it revolves around Avery Cross’ encounter with corruption. There are scenes that play into a sense of danger but also melancholy as Cross begins to alienate himself from his family to battle corruption. The third act becomes a mixture of both preceding acts but it has an air of tragedy as it relates to the events in the preceding two acts and how both Avery Cross and Luke Glanton would set up this very troubling fate for the meeting of their sons and how it all comes back to the past. Overall, Derek Cianfrance creates a very compelling and intense film about fathers and the sins they unknowingly create for their sons.
Cinematographer Sean Bobbitt does brilliant work with the film‘s photography where he infuses some grainy camera work into the picture as well as maintaining something very naturalistic for many of the film‘s exteriors as well as placing some lights for some stylish moments of the film. Editors Jim Helton and Ron Patane do excellent work with the editing by using some stylish cuts for some of the film‘s chase scenes as well as some more slow-paced yet methodical cuts for the dramatic moments. Production designer Inbal Weinberg, with set decorator Jasmine E. Ballou and art director Michael Ahern, does wonderful work with the set pieces from the trailer and auto shop that Luke lives in to the home of Avery Cross to represent the two different worlds they live in.
Costume designer Erin Benach does terrific work with the costumes from the ragged clothes of Luke as well as the more youthful clothes that Romina wears in the first act to the more casual look of Avery Cross in the film‘s second act as he becomes a more refined man in the third. Sound designer Dan Flosdorf does amazing work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the fairgrounds as well as the chase scenes and some very intense moments in some of dramatic portions of the film. The film’s music by Mike Patton is superb for its very haunting use of ambient textures and vocal choirs as well as some low-key orchestration to create dramatic moods for the film. Music supervisor Gabe Hilfer creates a fantastic soundtrack that includes a wide array of music ranging from classical pieces from Avro Part and Gregorio Allegri as well as contemporary music from Bruce Springsteen, Hall and Oates, The Cryin’ Shame, Ennio Morricone, Suicide, Bon Iver, Salem, and Two Fingers.
The casting by Cindy Tolan is incredible for the ensemble that was used as it includes some notable small performances from Gabe Fazio as Cross’ fellow officer Scott, Olga Merediz as Romina’s mother, Robert Clohessy as Cross’ chief, Harris Yulin as Avery’s father, Bruce Greenwood as a district attorney who questions Cross about the corruption in the force, and Mahershala Ali as Romina’s boyfriend Kofi who would become the one father figure Jason would have in his life. Ray Liotta is excellent as a corrupt officer who takes Cross around to show him the benefits which makes Cross uneasy while Ben Mendelsohn is terrific as the auto shop owner Robin who aids Luke in the bank robberies. Emory Cohen is very good as Cross’ son AJ as a young city kid who is forced to live with his father as he tries to rule the town.
Dane DeHaan is brilliant as Luke and Romina’s son Jason as a young loner teen who meets AJ as he becomes troubled by the revelations about who is father is as well as the fact that his mother has been carrying a secret about his father. Rose Byrne is superb in a small role as Avery’s wife Jennifer as a woman who tries to deal with the new fame her husband has as well as the things he does that has her alienated from him. Eva Mendes is great as Luke’s old flame Romina who deals with Luke’s return as well as what he tries to do as she later becomes a bitter woman trying to carry a secret that she doesn’t want her son to know about.
Bradley Cooper is marvelous as Avery Cross as a good man who finds himself entangled in the world of police corruption as he seeks to do something right only to drive away his family as he becomes consumed with guilt over his actions and how his son has turned out. Ryan Gosling is phenomenal as Luke Glanton as an intense man wanting to do right for his ex-girlfriend and their son as he turns to crime to provide for them only to set things in motion for the sense of confusion his son would endure in the years to come.
The Place Beyond the Pines is an outstanding film from Derek Cianfrance that features top-notch performances from Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper. Along with a great supporting cast, amazing technical work, and Mike Patton’s chilling score. The film is definitely a very captivating look into the world of fathers and the sins they place into their sons as well as the theme of redemption. In the end, The Place Beyond the Pines is a remarkable film from Derek Cianfrance.
Derek Cianfrance Films: (Brother Tied) - Blue Valentine - (Cagefighter) - (Metalhead)
© thevoid99 2013
Written and directed by Leos Carax, Holy Motors is the story about a man who travels throughout Paris inhabiting many personalities in the course of a day. The film is an unconventional story that revolves around cinema and a man changing from one personality to another in order to play a role in what is needed in life. Starring Denis Lavant, Eva Mendes, Edith Scob, Michel Piccoli, Elise L’Homeau, and Kylie Minogue. Holy Motors is a strange yet intoxicating film from Leos Carax.
The film is essentially the story about a man named Mr. Oscar (Denis Lavant) who spends his entire day inhabiting many personalities as part of his job. In this day, he spends his time in many different stories in very different genres as if he’s recreating moments or doing something as part of his job. In these different assignments, he meets various people in the course of a day as he’s often accompanied by his driver Celine (Edith Scob). It’s all part of a world that Leos Carax is creating where it blends fiction and reality where nothing is as it seems. Particularly as he transcends many different genres from comedy, romance, musical, film noir, the gangster film, and everything else in between for what is certainly an unconventional story.
Part of Carax’s approach to the screenplay is the fact that it doesn’t have a structure nor does it reveal anything into whether or not this story about a man inhabiting many personalities is real. Especially as the film opens with a different man (Leos Carax) opening a door in his apartment to enter a cinema where the audience is watching King Vidor’s The Crowd. It adds to the ambiguity that is part of this story where it asks many questions into what is happening. Is Mr. Oscar playing these personalities to fill something that is lost in the world? Are these personalities that the people encounter all part of an act or to create something shocking? Are the people part of the act that is happening?
These are the many questions that is happening in the course of the film as its narrative is approach in an episodic manner. Yet, it works as each personality that Mr. Oscar plays does manage to get people up in the air as the moments start to become more overwhelming and much crazier. Notably as there’s brief breaks where Mr. Oscar has to do something where it adds more question to the job that he’s doing. It’s all part of the schematics that Carax is creating where he raises the stakes for each adventure that Mr. Oscar is encountering. What become more intriguing as the story progresses is the people he’s meeting where they could be part of this strange agency.
Carax’s direction is definitely stylish in terms of the presentation that he’s creating for the film. Shot largely on location in Paris and nearby towns, it’s a world where things aren’t very real where it’s all about the world these personalities inhabit such as a gravesite, a film studio, an abandoned hotel, a suburb, and all sorts of places. Part of which takes place inside a big limousine where Oscar does all of his makeup work and prepares for each assignment he takes part on during the day. Carax has a stylish intimacy for these scenes where it feels large but also small at times while Mr. Oscar is always looking at a TV screen where he talks to Celine. Celine’s role is really that of a companion who ensures that he does his job and returns to his limo as she often shows maternal concern for him.
Since this is a film where reality doesn’t really exist, it’s also a film that features a lot of references to films as it is in some ways a tribute to cinema. In the middle of the film, there’s a break where Mr. Oscar plays the accordion with a bunch of musicians as a camera follows them in a tracking shot where they’re playing inside a church. It’s part of that idea of what cinema once was where there is a lot of fantasy and everyone is playing something. There’s also an element of the musical where it is clear that Carax is aiming for something that harkens back to times when cinema was about a whole lot more. Largely as Carax employs a lot of stylistic shots to create something big as Paris itself is a character in the film. Overall, Carax creates a very exhilarating yet strange spectacle that is a real love letter to cinema.
Cinematographers Caroline Champetier and Yves Cape do excellent work with the film‘s very stylish photography from the colorful look of the locations in Paris in day and night to some of the more weirder shots to explore Mr. Oscar‘s troubled mind. Editor Nelly Quetier does brilliant work with the editing by utilizing lots of stylish cuts to play with the film‘s rhythm as well as creating unique transitions for the film to move from one story to another. Production designer Florian Sanson and art director Emmanuelle Cuillery do amazing work with the set pieces in the film such as the limousine that Mr. Oscar lives in to some of the places like the abandoned hotel, the studio set, and the cave that his personalities inhabit.
Costume designer Anais Romand does wonderful work with the different costumes that Mr. Oscar wears along with some of the clothes of the people he encounters in his journey. Hair and makeup designer Bernard Floch does terrific work with the hair and makeup work that Mr. Oscar puts into all of the personalities he creates. Visual effects supervisors Yoann Berger and Alexandre Bon do nice work with some of the film‘s minimal visual effects which is most notable in the motion-capture scene that Mr. Oscar participates in. The sound work of Emmanuel Croset and Erwan Kerzanet is superb for the atmosphere it creates in the different locations that occur as well as the intimacy in the limousine.
The film’s soundtrack features an array of different music ranging from classical pieces by Dmitri Shostakovich, a score piece from the movie Godzilla by Akira Ifukube, and other music pieces by R.L. Burnside, Manset, Sparks, and Kylie Minogue. Minogue also sings an original song written by Leos Carax and Neil Hannon that is for the film’s lone musical number as it serves as a great tribute to cinema.
The casting by Elsa Pharaon is phenomenal for the small ensemble that is created as it features noteworthy performances from Jeanne Disson as a troubled teenager, Elisse L’Homeau as a nurse caring for her uncle, Geoffrey Carey as an obsessed photographer, Annabelle Dexter-Jones as the photographer’s assistant, and Leos Carax as the mysterious man in the film’s opening scene. Michel Piccoli is excellent in a small but memorable performance as a man who is probably Mr. Oscar’s boss as he questions about the status of his appointments. Eva Mendes is wonderful as a model that one of Mr. Oscar’s characters is infatuated by where Mendes is mesmerizing. Kylie Minogue is terrific as the mysterious Jean who joins Mr. Oscar in a very memorable scene where she sings a song.
Edith Scob is amazing as Mr. Oscar’s limo driver Celine as she makes sure he comes back from his appointments while worrying about his well-being after each assignment. Finally, there’s Denis Lavant in an incredible performance as Mr. Oscar and the many personalities he inhabits. It’s a truly riveting performance that has Lavant take on so many things including the Mr. Merde character that he played in the Merde segment in the anthology film Tokyo! It’s also a performance that allows Lavant to showcase his range from comedy, drama, and all sorts of things as it’s definitely one for the ages.
Holy Motors is an outstanding film from Leos Carax that features triumphant performances from Denis Lavant and Edith Scob. Along with top-notch supporting work from Kylie Minogue, Eva Mendes, and Michel Piccoli, it’s a film that is truly a true love-letter to the art of cinema as well as a film that dares to be unconventional and uncompromising without giving any kind of answers or meaning. In the end, Holy Motors is an extraordinary yet out-of-this-world film from Leos Carax.
Leos Carax Films: Boy Meets Girl - Mauvais Sang - Les Amants du Pont-Neuf - Pola X - Tokyo!: Merde - Annette - The Auteurs #36: Leos Carax
© thevoid99 2012
